tsunami.gifTsunamis & Hurricanes
By: Connor Payne
Seasonal Changes
By: Zack Reider
Tsunamis 1. What are they?
It’s a wave train, or a series of waves. They are usually generated in a body of water by a disturbance that vertically displaces the water column. Earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, explosions, and even the impact of cosmic bodies, such as meteorites, can cause tsunamis. Tsunamis can savagely attack coastlines, causing devastating property damage and loss of life.
2. What does tsunami mean?
Tsunami is a Japanese word with the English translation, “harbor wave”. Represented by two main characters, the top refers to the “tsu” meaning “harbor”, and the bottom character means “wave” (see Japanese writing at the top). In the past, tsunamis were referred to as “tidal waves”. The scientific community called them “seismic sea waves”. The word “seismic” means that it is earthquake related. The term “tidal wave” is an incorrect name for these waves. Even though the impact upon a coastline is determined by the tidal level at the time a tsunami hits. Tsunamis are unrelated to tides.
3. How do tsunamis differ from other water waves?
Tsunamis aren’t wind generated. Waves that are, are the kind we see on local beaches or out in the ocean. They are shallow waves. Shallow-water waves come into being when a wave ratio between the water depth and length gets smaller. 1. What are they?
It’s a wave train, or a series of waves. They are usually generated in a body of water by a disturbance that vertically displaces the water column. Earthquakes, landslides, volcanic eruptions, explosions, and even the impact of cosmic bodies, such as meteorites, can cause tsunamis. Tsunamis can savagely attack coastlines, causing devastating property damage and loss of life.
2. What does tsunami mean?
Tsunami is a Japanese word with the English translation, “harbor wave”. Represented by two main characters, the top refers to the “tsu” meaning “harbor”, and the bottom character means “wave” (see Japanese writing at the top). In the past, tsunamis were referred to as “tidal waves”. The scientific community called them “seismic sea waves”. The word “seismic” means that it is earthquake related. The term “tidal wave” is an incorrect name for these waves. Even though the impact upon a coastline is determined by the tidal level at the time a tsunami hits. Tsunamis are unrelated to tides.
3. How do tsunamis differ from other water waves?
Tsunamis aren’t wind generated. Waves that are, are the kind we see on local beaches or out in the ocean. They are shallow waves. Shallow-water waves come into being when a wave ratio between the water depth and length gets smaller.4. How do earthquakes generate tsunamis?
They are generated when the seafloor deforms and displaces water that lies overhead. Tectonic plates are the ones that cause most of earthquakes beneath the sea. When this happens, the water above the deformed area is displaced from its original position. After the waves are displaced, the water tries to regain its equilibrium. If large areas of seafloor are deformed by an earthquake, then a tsunami is born. Large movements are associated by being near a plate boundary.5. How can a major disaster such as landslides, cosmic collisions, and volcanic eruptions, cause a tsunami? • Earthquake generated tsunamis is when a column is disturbed by the uplift of the sea floor.
• Under water landslides, also often happen at the same time as an earthquake and the collapse of a volcano, can disturb the water causing this disaster. There is no real tsunami season. There are signs though for our protection, of when a tsunami is about to hit: if an earthquake is in or near water that you are near, then a tsunami will follow; if the water line on the shore recedes quickly and you can see bare beach, then evacuation must be taken immediately because a tsunami is in route of that beach; follow some of the animals, for example elephants can hear the sound of approaching tsunamis’, so they move inland; computer models can also predict when a tsunami is about to come in; there is an eerie loud roar similar to a plane taking off or a train when it’s going full speed.Records related to Tsunamis:
° Maximum death toll was in 2004 in the Indian Ocean. 283,000 men & woman lost their lives (as well as children).
· Second largest death toll was in 1755 in Portugal, Morocco, & the United Kingdom. 100,000 men, woman, & children lost their lives.
° Third largest was in 1908 in Italy. 70,000 men, woman, & children lsot their lives.
A Tsunami can reach 600 mph in the deepest part of the ocean. Close to shore produces a 30 to 40 mph one. The energy of speed is used to increase height and force. They can be up to one hour apart and 100 kilometers long. Tsunamis can cross an entire ocean without loosing momentum. They can also move up rivers and streams that lead to oceans as well. Obviously, they move a lot faster than a human being. If one of these waves reaches 40 to more than 100 meters they are named a megatsunami. These acquire more height for when they reach land due to the force of it’s impact. These giants are also called “iminami” or “wave of purification”.
Frozen Tsunami wave below.

20071201antarcticafrozenwave.jpg
before_after_tsunami_2004_500.jpg
Tsunami works cited: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/tsunami-facts.html
http://blog.rapidsea.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/20071201antarcticafrozenwave.jpghttp://www.masternewmedia.org/images/before_after_tsunami_2004_500.jpg

68252main_year4_hurricanes.jpgHurricanesA hurricane is a severe tropical storm that forms in the Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean Sea, and Pacific Ocean(Eastern). They are storms that gather heat and energy through these warm waters that they travel through. Evaporation of this sea water increase the power. Hurricanes rotate counter clockwise around their “Eye”. a storm that has reached wind speeds of 74 mph is considered a hurricane. Anything lower is a Tropical Storm. Heavy rain, strong winds, and much destruction is brought to land when they hit. The heavy waves that follow in after the storm or follow in during the storm are called Storm Surge. They are Very dangerous and you MUST stay away from beaches while a hurricane is there. Even during a hurricane warning, you MUSt refrain from going towards any beaches. The official hurricane season is June 1 to November 30, but this doesn’t mean a hurricane can’t hit any other time though. It doesn’t matter which time of year that is just the declared season in the U.S. The National Weather Service names all the storms. A hurricane is part of a family called “ Tropical Cyclones”. hurricane is from a West Indian word meaning “ Big Wind”. they begin life as a mini storm that isn’t really organized, over warm ocean waters. After it’s organization, it is called a “Tropical Depression”. if it grows in intensity and reaches wind speeds of 40 mph it is called a “Tropical Storm” and gets it’s name. when it reaches 74 mph it becomes a “Hurricane”. this revolves around an “Eye”. the eye is relatively calm. It’s free of clouds. The rapid spinning of an “Eyewall” creates a pressure that sucks all clouds out of the eye.
Categories: Category One; Winds 74-95 miles per hour
Category Two; Winds 96-110 miles per hour
Category Three; Winds 111-130 miles per hour
Category Four; Winds 131-155 miles per hour
Category Five; Winds greater than 155 miles per hour

Works Cited: http://www.albany.edu/~jd4226/project2/facts.html#quiz
4seasons.jpg
Seasonal Changes
Nicolai Copernicus forever changed our understanding of astronomy when he proposed that the sun, not Earth, was the center of the solar system. His proposal led to our modern knowledge of the relationship between the sun and Earth. The Earth orbits the sun elliptically, and at the same time spins on a tilted axis relative to its plane of orbit.This means that different hemispheres get different amounts of sunlight throughout the year. This changing intesity causes the seasons Summer, Winter, Spring, and Fall.
Seasons are marked my solstices and equinoxes. The solstices mark the points at which the poles are tilted at their maximum toward or away from the sun. The solstices occur each year on June 20th – 21st and on December 21st – 22nd. They represent the official start of summer and winter. Equinoxes mark the points at which the sun appears directly over Earth’s equator. The lengths of the day and night mostly equal over the planet. The vernal equinox occurs on March 20th – 21st, and while the Northern Hemisphere enjoys the signs of spring, the Southern Hemisphere turns colder as the autumnal equinox sets in. The year’s other equinox occurs on September 22nd – 23rd, and brings forth fall in the north and spring in the south.